I was under the impression the Remington Model 11 was a carbon clone of the Browning Auto 5. Thus the majority of parts will interchange or are they 2 different animals ??????

The M11 was built by Rem here in America whereas the Browning built at FN in Belgium until Browning had them done in Japan. No they are not an exact clone. No magazine cutoff switch on the M11 and too place a shell in the M11's mag ,you need to depress the bolt release button on the receiver. The Browning you just stuff the mag. I have both and really like them. If your thinking of buying parts for one to use on the other, better think again some might interchange with no problem but not all. MM

As stated the Remington lacks the magazine cut off switch and also the "speed feed" feature of the Auto Five. From memory I believe that early versions of the Remington had a safety inside the trigger guard (the Garand had a similar safety location later), I don't think the Auto Five ever had anything other than the standard cross bolt safety behind the trigger. Cosmetically the scroll work and embellishment on the receiver was different also. Again from memory but I believe early versions of the Remington had blank receivers with no scroll work but later versions might have a game scene on the receiver.

Will the barrels interchange?

Remington also made a "Sportsman" version that was three shot only and the front of the forearm tapered to a smaller threaded cap. I like them the best.

Mixed parts can somettimes be fitted. My grandfathers A-5 had a Remington trigger/safety on it.

Some A-5's had the Garand-style safety in the front of the trigger guard. A friend of mine had one that his grandfather gave him. He loved the gun but hated that safety. I didn't care for it much either. We had it dated and it was from the early 30's if memory serves me right.

I think that was called a "suicide safety".

Only the very early A-5s had the front safety.
They changed it to the rear location later & never made anymore with the front safety.
It's an easy way to glance at an A-5 and tell if it's a really old one.

IIRC, the change in the Auto-5 from the front of the trigger guard mounted safety to the cross bolt safety took place sometime in 1951. The early style safeties in the Auto-5's I have handled moved very easily, not like the postive movement of a Garand safety.

Odessa that's right, the very frt of the suicide safety had a little button to depress to slide the safety back on. I have one of those early ones with 30" full choked solid rib, it had been sent back to Browning for a complete finish restoration and is a beauty. MM

No. There are a couple parts that are interchangeable, but the barrel is not one of them.

Didn't Remington actually make some A5s for Browning during one of the World Wars? Not saying that affects the original question but it could have some bearing.

Here is an American Browning and a Belgian Browning Auto-5 (both in 16 gauge) shown for comparison. The American Browning was made by Remington, for Browning to sell after the Germans overran Belgium early in WW-II. The American Browning has the cut-off lever, other than that it is more like the Remington than like the Belgian Browning. I sold the American (mfg in 1941) some time ago, but still own and hunt with the Belgian (mfg in 1951).

Here is a picture of an early 1951 Sweet Sixteen with the first style safety. The American Browning's had a rear trigger guard safety long before the Belgian Browning's had them.

Rufus G and Odessa your right of course and it's been so long since I saw a American made A-5 your reminding me tweeked my memory. Great photos and good looking A-5's. MM

I had an A5 with a suicide safety that was build right after wwii

suicide safety
this is the suicide safety the first 10,000 or so had these 1901-1905 then they moved it to the front safety and finally the cross bolt safety

I have a Savage Model 745, a lightweight clone of the Browning. I think the cutout in the barrel extension into which the bolt locks may be different between the clones and real Brownings. I think it has a slightly different shape but can be modified to work. I had to fit a barrel from a Savage Model 720 to my shotgun and it took a bit of very light file work to make the barrel and bolt locking lug mate up. I think Mr. Corson at Corson Barrels told me that when he sold me the Model 720 barrel.